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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28149057">relentless as a waterfall</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_bisexual_disaster/pseuds/the_bisexual_disaster'>the_bisexual_disaster</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>A Song of Ice and Fire &amp; Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bodyguard AU, F/M, Friends to Lovers, In a way, Mentions of PTSD, Open Ending, Romance, War, bc the author underestimated how much plot fits into 5k, but i wouldnt have it any other way, by request this will have a happy ending, even though its nearly 2021, gendrya gift exchange 2020, loosely inspired by the copious amounts of botw ive been playing, no smut sorry guys :/, yet another s8 fix it fic</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:47:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,218</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28149057</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_bisexual_disaster/pseuds/the_bisexual_disaster</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It had been several years since Arya and Gendry have seen each other. </p>
<p>They meet again at the end of the world.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Arya Stark &amp; Bran Stark, Arya Stark/Gendry Waters, Jon Snow &amp; Arya Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>92</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>relentless as a waterfall</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/huffletiika/gifts">huffletiika</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi there everyone! <br/>This was written for @huffletiika for the Gendrya Gift Exchange 2020! I used the prompt "I'd kill a thousand men before I let them take you away from me again". This story fought me. Hard. I'm so sorry it's late. This has a rather open end because this is the longest one shot I've written by myself and as the tags suggest, I severely underestimated how much plot fits into 5000 words. I do have a second part planned out and I'll write it and post it if this first part is well received! If not, the ending in my mind is they win the war, they dethrone Cersei, and Arya and Gendry live happily ever after together (of course). </p>
<p>Happy holidays and happy new year! Here's hoping that 2021 brings fresh starts for everyone!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The forge was stuffy and hot, even this far north, but Gendry welcomed the heat from the burning fires. It offered a respite from the freezing cold outside. He wasn’t built for this cold. He was a southron boy, raised in the humid warmth of King’s Landing. As such, he rather enjoyed it in the forge. He always had. He enjoyed getting lost in his work, the clanging of steel on steel and the crackling of the fires fading into background noise as he turned apparent scrap into blades sharp enough to kill.</p>
<p>That day would have been no exception, had it not been for The Hound.</p>
<p>Sandor Clegane had a reputation as an angry, bitter man, and Gendry had been unfortunate enough to witness his bite when he was near his worst. Arya had him on her list all those years ago, and since she didn’t trust him, neither did he.</p>
<p>Clegane had been in a significantly better mood than he had been on the day of his trial by combat with the Brotherhood, but his sharp tongue had not dulled as he demanded Gendry show him the wicked club the older man had commissioned.</p>
<p>“You’re sure it’ll hold?” Clegane asked, testing the weight of the new weapon in his hand.</p>
<p>“Yes, I’m sure,” Gendry sighed for what felt like the millionth time. Although he hadn’t known the limitations of dragonglass, he was confident that the weapons he made would last through most of the coming battle, especially a weapon as big and clunky as The Hound’s.</p>
<p>“Don’t take that tone with me, boy,” Clegane snarled. “I much preferred it when you were whinging about that cold north of the Wall. Didn’t talk back as much.”</p>
<p>“I wasn’t whing-“</p>
<p>“Oh, yes you were. Would not stop. Ya still won’t stop either, will ya? Whining about your little toes and the draft in your rooms. It’s all southerners ever complain about is the fucking cold.”</p>
<p>Gendry could hear some of the Northmen snickering and wanted nothing more but to punch the smug grin off of the stupid Hound’s face, but a voice from behind Clegane stopped his train of thought dead in its tracks.</p>
<p>“Let him be.”</p>
<p>The Northerners’ snickering stopped as well as they recognized the voice and who it belonged to. Arya came closer to The Hound, her expression neutral and passive, giving nothing away. Clegane stood, towering over them both as he glared down at her like Gendry remembered him doing when they were younger. This time, she returned the glare, but otherwise didn’t react.</p>
<p>“Well, you’re a cold little bitch, aren’t you?”</p>
<p>At that, the urge to attack The Hound returned. The Arya he knew was anything but cold. She was fire, warm, angry, and brave. Yet, he couldn’t help but consider his words. They had all changed, for sure, but the contrast between the determined girl he knew and the cool young woman who stood in front of him now was most shocking. He wished to speak with her, to see if he could see any more of the girl who once offered to be his family.</p>
<p>Arya cocked an eyebrow in response and The Hound sighed, his expression softening.</p>
<p>“Guess that’s why you’re still alive.”</p>
<p>At that, he left the forge. Gendry watched him leave, wondering what on earth just happened and concluding that it was likely something he wouldn’t understand quite yet. It was like a puzzle, and he was missing the pieces to solve it.</p>
<p>Finally, after a heavy, awkward silence, Arya spoke.</p>
<p>“It’s been a long time.”</p>
<p>Gods, but she hasn’t changed, not really. She still came to about a head shorter than Gendry, and he did not consider himself to be a very tall man. She’d grown into her features, and he couldn’t help but notice that the steely grey of her eyes was the same as when they were younger.</p>
<p>“It has.”  He cleared his throat. “Been a long time, that is.”</p>
<p>Why was he nervous? He knew her, better than he’d known anyone in his life. </p>
<p>“You look...good,” he continued. Good? What kind of a compliment was that?</p>
<p>“Thanks. So do you,” she replied with a soft smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.</p>
<p>He smiled awkwardly in return. What could he say? They hadn’t exactly been on the best of terms the last time they spoke. Even though it’s been five years since, her voice still echoed in his ears.</p>
<p>
  <em>“I can be your family.”</em>
</p>
<p>She took a deep breath. Obviously she didn’t feel much more comfortable than he was. “I have a request of you,” she said after another awkward silence. Gods, he missed being open with her.</p>
<p>“What is it?” </p>
<p>She reached into a pocket and withdrew a small, rolled piece of paper. She unrolled it in front of him and handed it to him. It was a design for a spear, and not like any other he’d seen. It was more of a staff, with blades made out of dragonglass at each end. It separated into two in the middle, turning the long staff into two single handed weapons. He hadn’t seen her fight much since he returned, but he had the feeling it was the perfect weapon for her. She wouldn’t have designed a weapon that didn’t suit her and her abilities.</p>
<p>“Can you make it?” she asked, with all the confidence of the lady she was.</p>
<p>He snorted. “A request? I’ve never known you to ‘request’ anything.”</p>
<p>She glared at him teasingly in response. “Can you make it or not?”</p>
<p>He gave her design a proper look through. It would be rather simple. Hed made plenty of spearheads during his time at Winterfell, and the staff itself wouldn’t be too hard. The most difficult part would be the split in the middle. It would have to be secure enough to stay in one piece but not too convoluted so she could easily pull it apart in the middle of a fight. It may take a little bit of engineering, but he was confident that it wasn’t above his skills.</p>
<p>“Easily,” he replied. “I should have it ready within a fortnight.”</p>
<p>“Perfect,” she said with a smile. She kept watching him expectantly, as if she was waiting for him to do something.</p>
<p>“What, you want me to start on it now?” he asked, bewildered. “I have other projects too, you know.”</p>
<p>“I know. I just missed you.”</p>
<p>He sighed. “I missed you too, Ary- M’lad- Lady Arya.”</p>
<p>She punched him in the shoulder. “How many times do I have to tell you to not call me m’lady?” </p>
<p>“Well, I’m not about to make myself look bad in front of all the smiths at Winterfell by disrespecting her heir, now am I?” he asked.</p>
<p>She punched him harder, and he laughed, rubbing his shoulder.</p>
<p>“Disrespecting me… you could never disrespect me,” she muttered. “Except maybe if you keep calling me m’lady.”</p>
<p>“What if your sister hears?” he whispered in her ear. “Surely then I’d be exiled for… for treason or something. I don’t know how laws work.”</p>
<p>“You wouldn’t be exiled,” she scoffed. “At worst, she’ll glare at you angrily, but I’ll protect you.”</p>
<p>“You?” he laughed. “I’d like to see that.”</p>
<p>She laughed, and that time it felt more genuine than anything she’d done so far. It was so contagious that he joined in.</p>
<p>“So,” he began once they quieted down. “Where have you been all this time?” It was a question he’d been itching to know the answer to, but he was afraid she was still mad at him for what he said in the past. If anyone could hold a grudge, it was Arya Stark.</p>
<p>A shadow passed over her eyes and the smile fell from her face. The change in atmosphere was so sudden he regretted asking almost instantly. Instead of snapping like she might have in the past, she put on a sly grin.</p>
<p>“I thought you had work to do,” she teased. “Can’t have Winterfell’s best smith getting distracted and falling behind now, can we?”</p>
<p>She was avoiding the question, he knew, but he wasn’t going to push her on it.</p>
<p>“Of course, m’lady,” he teased, reveling in the playful glare she shot him. “I’ll see you around?”</p>
<p>“See you around,” she said with a wave as she turned and left the forge, leaving Gendry feeling more complete and satisfied than he had in years.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It was a few hours before he saw her again. He was surprised, considering how busy everyone seemed to be with the Long Night on the horizon. </p>
<p>She found him rather easily. He was sitting just far enough outside the smithy so he could get a reprieve from the forge’s heat, but close enough to the entrance so he didn’t freeze in his thin tunic. He smelled the hot food in her hands and his stomach growled. He had so many things to finish in so little time that sometimes he forgot to eat. </p>
<p>“What would I do without you?” he asked as she shoved a bowl into his hands. </p>
<p>“Starve,” she said, matter-of-factly, “like the idiot you are. Honestly, what kind of person doesn’t eat in the middle of a war? What would happen if you passed out in the middle of the forge?”</p>
<p>She had a point, but his stubborn nature didn’t allow him to acknowledge it.</p>
<p>“I would not have passed out,” he scoffed. </p>
<p>Arya didn’t seem convinced. He took the break in her scolding of him to change the topic. </p>
<p>“Did you see your brother again?” he asked. They’d just arrived the day before and he knew that the King in the North was likely being pulled in a hundred different directions since. He just hoped he had enough time to meet with his family as well.</p>
<p>“I did,” she said, taking a seat beside him. “We talked in the Godswood earlier. I missed him.”</p>
<p>He knew. He knew just how much she missed him.</p>
<p>“I spent some time in Braavos,” she said suddenly. “I learned a lot there. Did you know that it’s dangerous to carry a sword in Braavosi streets? The Bravos take it as a challenge. I’ve seen many Westerosi knights lose a duel because they didn’t know the ways. It rained a lot, more than I ever thought it could.”</p>
<p>He listened, enraptured by her experiences, and he was only thrown off when she began speaking in a different tongue that he could only presume was Braavosi.</p>
<p>“What does that mean?” </p>
<p>“They are words meaningful to few in Braavos. It means ‘all men must serve.’ I served many in Braavos, and I became familiar with those words. They were the first words I learned that weren’t in the common tongue.”</p>
<p>“Braavosi?”</p>
<p>She shook her head. “High Valyrian, although I am fluent in Braavosi as well.”</p>
<p>“Show-off. Next you’ll tell me you know Dothraki as well.”</p>
<p>“I’d like to learn!”</p>
<p>He laughed.</p>
<p>“I’ve been in King’s Landing,” he said.</p>
<p>“You haven’t.”</p>
<p>“I have.”</p>
<p>“The Lannisters-“</p>
<p>“Didn’t even know I was there,” he smirked. He was proud that the Lannisters never found them. Either his guise was that good or the Gold Cloaks were that dumb. To protect his ego, he preferred the former possibility. “I cut my hair, lived under a false name, kept to myself a lot. It was nothing like your adventures in Braavos, but it’s a bit of a funny story.”</p>
<p>He would have continued on if Arya hadn’t been so distracted. She was looking into the darkness as though there was something there. Suddenly, she stood up, drawing the skinny little sword he vaguely remembered from when they first met.</p>
<p>“Show yourself,” she demanded.</p>
<p>He stood up as well, and before he could tell her that there was no one there and that she was being paranoid, a figure cloaked in red emerged from the shadows. </p>
<p>Gendry felt his blood run cold.</p>
<p>Melisandre. What was she doing here?</p>
<p>He gravitated closer to Arya, who kept her sword drawn and pointed at the Red Witch in front of them.</p>
<p>“What’s your business here?” Arya demanded once more. “I won’t ask again.”</p>
<p>Melisandre pulled her hood back and Gendry shuddered. Her eyes… those red eyes haunted his nightmares some nights and he’d prayed to the Gods that he’d never have to see them again.</p>
<p>Despite his fear, Melisandre barely spared him a second glance. She was focused entirely on Arya. </p>
<p>“I am here on behalf of R'hllor,” she said, her voice grating. “I have received new information that will change the course of this war. As it stands, you will be defeated and Westeros will be lost. I know the identity of the one who will save us, and I am confident I am right this time.”</p>
<p>Gendry finally found his voice and stepped out from behind Arya. “We don’t need any of your bullshit prophecies,” he spat. “Leave, now, or we will not hesitate to kill you where you stand.”</p>
<p>Melisandre laughed, unfazed by his threat. “Relax, young stag. I am not here to harm anyone.”</p>
<p>“You won’t get the chance,” Arya said. “Do as he says.”</p>
<p>Her voice was empty and flat, and it concerned him so much it nearly broke through his fear. </p>
<p>Melisandre nodded. “As the princess commands.”</p>
<p>Arya snarled, and Melisandre smiled before turning around and walking back into the shadows.</p>
<p>Gendry rushed back into the safety of the forge and Arya followed him.</p>
<p>“Sit down,” she commanded.</p>
<p>“I’m fine-“</p>
<p>“Sit.”</p>
<p>As stubborn as he was, he knew she could match him every step of the way. He obliged, plopping down on a stool in the corner.</p>
<p>“You should go to your quarters,” she suggested. “You shouldn’t be working like this.”</p>
<p>Distantly, he noticed that the empty and dangerous tone shed taken with Melisandre was gone, and her voice held the same warmth that it had when she told him about Braavos.</p>
<p>“I’ll be fine,” he said. “I’ve worked through worse.”</p>
<p>“Your hands are shaking.”</p>
<p>He clenched his hands behind his back. He knew she was right and he should stop for the night, but he wouldn’t be able to sleep at all. He wouldn’t feel safe, knowing she was somewhere in Winterfell. He was angry, beyond angry, he realized, and he needed to hit something. He stood up and moved over to the nearest empty anvil, picking up a hammer and a useless piece of metal and beginning to hit it. </p>
<p>It was something Tobho Mott had him do when he first took Gendry on as an apprentice. He was an angry child, and Tobho saw the opportunity for him to both take out his anger and learn the weight of the hammer all at once. It was something he took to doing whenever he felt angry like this. It was better to hit a harmless, useless piece of metal than to hit some poor bloke’s face again and again. </p>
<p>Arya was quiet. She watched him intently as he let out his anger. Fortunately, all the other smiths had gone for dinner. There was no one else around to witness his outburst.</p>
<p>It didn’t take long before the metal broke in two and he dropped the hammer, panting with exertion.</p>
<p>“Are you finished?” Arya asked.</p>
<p>He nodded, and moved to grab the jerkin he’d been given at Dragonstone to combat the cold. It didn’t do much, in his opinion, but it was better than his thin undershirt. </p>
<p>He was relieved to see that Arya stayed close behind him. He didn’t want to be alone right now, and somehow she could sense that. It was almost as if they’d never been apart in the first place.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Arya had so many questions she could’ve asked Gendry as they made their way up the stairs to his chambers, but she didn’t want to prod. The Red Woman’s presence left too much of a mark on him for her to feel good about asking him. </p>
<p>Instead, they walked up to his chamber in silence. His hands were clenched tightly into fists and he was breathing heavily the whole way. Arya stayed alert for any sounds or presences, familiar or unfamiliar. She had a sinking feeling that any interaction with anyone else would be too much for him at the moment. Before long, they had made it to his chambers. He hesitated before stepping inside, and hesitated again once he realized she wasn’t following him.</p>
<p>“I can get Sansa to post some guards outside your door, if that would make you more comfortable,” she offered.</p>
<p>He shook his head in response.</p>
<p>“Do you want me to stay?”</p>
<p>He nodded.</p>
<p>She walked inside and closed the door behind her, moving aside so he could lock it. Undoubtedly he’d want to change into fresh, clean clothes to sleep in, so she turned around, offering him privacy. As he changed, she took off her leather armour and her belt, taking Needle off in the process, leaving it in its scabbard. Once she heard the rustle of bedcovers being moved, she turned around. There was a chair at a small table in one corner of the room, and that was where she chose to stay for the night, her sword resting across her lap and her feet resting on the table in an attempt to be more comfortable. Gendry looked at her with an amused expression when he saw her position on the chair but said nothing about it. Instead, he turned over and apparently went to sleep, not moving for the rest of the night.</p>
<p>Arya, however, did not sleep. Even though the door was locked and nighttime guards patrolled the halls, she didn’t trust the Red Woman and she never did. Her powers were… unnatural. Arya had a feeling that it wouldn’t be too much harder for The Red Woman to sneak in than it would have been for Arya to have done the same. So, she stayed awake all night, watching Gendry and keeping alert for danger. She didn’t mind, not one bit. She would have done it a hundred night over if it made him feel safe.</p>
<p>In the morning, there was a soft knock at the door, and she moved to open it. On the other side stood Jon, looking confused and concerned.</p>
<p>“I was told you might be here,” he said</p>
<p>“By whom?” If he;d been talking to The Red Woman… </p>
<p>“Bran,” he answered. “I can’t even begin to fathom how he knew-“</p>
<p>“He just knows,” Arya said. “He knows everything.”</p>
<p>“I came to ask if you’d like to go on a morning ride with me,” he said, looking almost like he did the morning they both left Winterfell. “Well, not just a ride. It would be more like a scout or a hunt, but it would be nice to go, just you and I. It’s been a long time since we’ve had time alone together.”</p>
<p>She sighed, and looked back at Gendry, still asleep. She couldn’t leave him alone, especially after what happened last night. </p>
<p>Jon understood. “If you still want to go once he’s awake, come find me. This is… a rare day off for me.”</p>
<p>“I’ll find you later,” she swore. </p>
<p>Once Gendry woke up, she began putting her armour back on as he searched for his jerkin. </p>
<p>“You left it in the forge,” she told him. In his distress the night before, he’d left the forge in a hurry and made it through the cold winter air without even shivering. She would have been impressed had she not known the reason. </p>
<p>“So I did.” he said, resigned. “It’s not too far of a walk, though. I should be fine.”</p>
<p>He soon found out, to Arya’s amusement, that he was poorly mistaken. </p>
<p>Northern winters were harsh, cold and unforgiving, a fact that was well known through the land, yet this stubborn, stupid man was wandering about in nothing but his undershirt. </p>
<p>“You know, I could have gone and gotten something of Jon’s or Robb’s for you to wear,” she offered. “Maybe one of Sansa’s cloaks, even.”</p>
<p>His cheeks went redder than they already were. “I’d never- I’ll see if I can get a second one somehow. I’m not wearing king’s clothes.”</p>
<p>She didn’t have the heart to tell him that “king” meant something different in the North. It didn’t come with the same luxury as it did for southron kings like the ones he knew. The title of “King in the North” came with rations and rags, as it did for his people. If the Northerners suffered, their king did as well.</p>
<p>The forge came into their line of sight, and Gendry practically ran for it. He paused at the entrance, turning to her with questioning, sheepish eyes.

“Will I see you later?” he asked. </p>
<p>“You will. I’ll be around.”</p>
<p>He smiled, and disappeared into the forge.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Jon wasn’t hard to find. Having a brother who could see everyone and everything proved to be helpful at times, even if Arya longed for the Bran who would chase her and Rickon through the castle and start snowball fights with her.</p>
<p>He was waiting at the stable, brushing down his horse. Her own had been saddled and was waiting for her patiently, along with a bow and a quiver of arrows. She moved to the horse, petting his head affectionately. </p>
<p>Jon jumped. “I didn’t even hear you come in.”</p>
<p>She smirked. “Shall we be off?”</p>
<p>He nodded and mounted.</p>
<p>Despite the tension from the coming battle and the danger from going too far outside the castle, Arya felt herself relax as she raced across the yard, Jon at her side. For the first time in a very long time, she laughed in joy. She always liked horse riding; it was one of the few things she was better at than Sansa was as a child, and she was always good with animals. </p>
<p>“Arya!” Jon called. “Over here!”</p>
<p>Then, she remembered exactly what they were there for. As much as she’d love to have time alone with her brother and her horse, it would have to wait. She had a job to do. She rode up beside Jon and slowed to a trot. </p>
<p>He grinned at her as she joined him. “It’s been a while since I’ve heard that laugh. I’ve missed it.” He reached over to muss her hair and she knocked his hand away.</p>
<p>“It’s been a while since I’ve been able to ride,” she shrugged. </p>
<p>“Do you know Gendry well?” he asked. Did Gendry not tell Jon? Arya had presumed that it was why Jon asked him to join his forces, but it was apparently not the case.

“I do,” she told him. “We met each other after Father died. He protected me, and I him. He was… my closest friend. He was my family. We had encountered the Brotherhood Without Banners and I met Harwin again. I don’t know what happened to him. They wanted to sell me to Robb and Mother for ransom, and they sold Gendry to some Red Woman.”</p>
<p>“Melisandre?” Jon asked.</p>
<p>“I guess so. I don’t know her name and I never bothered to learn. She took my best friend from me, and I didn’t see him for years. I thought he was dead.”</p>
<p>“He’s not, though.”</p>
<p>“No, he’s not, and I won’t let her take him from me again.”</p>
<p>Jon smiled. “Little sister, I do think you might be in love with him.”</p>
<p>Arya scowled. “Why would you say that?”</p>
<p>“No one who’s ‘just friends’ with someone would say that if they didn’t love them. They wouldn’t have stayed up all night to make sure they felt safe.”</p>
<p>“I’m a Stark of Winterfell,” Arya said. “It’s my responsibility to protect the castle and its residents.”</p>
<p>“That is true,” he said, “but you also could have waited outside the door or posted guards there.”</p>
<p>“He wanted me to stay.”</p>
<p>Jon hummed. “I’m not mad at you, you know. We don’t control who we love.”</p>
<p>“You sound like Bran,” she said, pushing him lightly and he laughed.</p>
<p>“Maybe Bran has some good points. You should listen to him sometimes.”</p>
<p>“He annoys me.”</p>
<p>Jon laughed. “I know Sansa might have problems with it. Despite how she’s changed, she still thinks rather poorly of some people. I’m sure I can talk some sense into her if she gives you trouble. Arya, are you listening to me?”</p>
<p>She was not, in fact, listening. There was something in the bushes, she could hear it. In the distance, there was an odd shape that blended into the snow.</p>
<p>Jon followed her gaze and saw the same odd shape as well. They rode closer, slowly, and as they approached she thought that the odd shape was a person, hunched over in a fetal position in the snow. They looked like they’d been there a long time. Their skin was unnaturally white and their armour was covered in a thick layer of snow. The temperature around them plummeted and Arya shivered, the hairs at the back of her neck standing on end.</p>
<p>Jon dismounted and drew his sword. She moved to do the same with her Valyrian steel dagger, but he stopped her. </p>
<p>“Stay here,” he said, and advanced slowly. She sheathed her dagger and pulled her bow from her back, along with an arrow from her quiver. She nocked the arrow onto the bow and waited. This person, if it was a person at all, could not be good news and she had to be prepared.</p>
<p>Jon reached where the figure was hunched and put a hesitant, gloved, hand onto its shoulder. He shot his hand back immediately as if it burned and the figure reached out to grab his wrist. He just barely avoided its grasp and raised his sword to swing. </p>
<p>“Go back to Winterfell, Arya,” he yelled. “Tell Sansa and the Queen!”</p>
<p>She didn’t move. Instead she drew her bowstring and aimed at the being.</p>
<p>A White Walker. That’s what it was. When he got back, Jon told her, Sansa, and Bran all about the enemy they were about to face. Queen Daenerys needlessly supported his claims. Before  her return to Winterfell, all the stories about the Others were myths, stories told to her and her siblings by Old Nan before they slept. Those stories were the ones that made Sansa hide under the covers, Rickon cry in fear, and Robb scold them for asking for a scary story before bed, but Arya and Bran clung to every word. They were fascinated by these creatures of ice that nearly took over their home thousands of years ago. Now, Arya wanted to yell at her past self. These were no stories or myths. They were real, and they were dangerous.</p>
<p>She loosed her arrow, and it hit the Walker in the neck. On a normal person, the blow would have been fatal. On the Walker, the arrow bounced off his neck, and he turned towards her, eyes widening in what seemed to be recognition. She pulled out another arrow, this one tipped with dragonglass, and took aim. Before she could fire, Longclaw’s tip cut through the front of the Walker’s breastplate and it turned to ice. Instantly, the air felt warmer, but she shuddered, nearly dropping her bow. </p>
<p>“We need to get back to Winterfell, now,” Jon told her, panting heavily.</p>
<p>She nodded, unable to give a response.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Once Arya and Jon told Sansa and Queen Daenerys what happened on their mission, Arya left for the forge. The sun was already beginning to set, although they hadn’t been out for longer than an hour. Arya felt as if she could sleep for years.</p>
<p><em>Winter is coming.</em> Her house words echoed in her head. Winter is here, and she never felt more unprepared in her life.</p>
<p>She entered the forge and revelled in the warmth from the flames. She perched on the stool she saw in the corner the previous night and waited for Gendry to finish. She’d promised Rickon and Lady Lyanna that she’d help them train, but her heart wasn’t in it. She kept replaying that moment over and over again in her head. Why did it look like it <em>knew</em> her? It <em>recognized</em> her somehow. It deeply unnerved her. Something that old and evil looking at her like that…</p>
<p>“Hey,” Gendry came up to her and kneeled beside her. “I thought I’d see you later.”</p>
<p>She shook her head. “Don’t have much else to do.”</p>
<p>He looked at her with a question in his eyes, one she didn’t want to answer.</p>
<p>“Well, I still have quite a bit of work to finish, so if you don’t mind waiting…” </p>
<p>She didn’t respond and he left her to her own devices, returning to his work.</p>
<p>It was several hours before he was finished and cleaning up while the nighttime smiths filtered in. Arya had been lost in her own thoughts for a while, and she would’ve jumped at the sudden contact of his hand on her shoulder in a different time.</p>
<p>“Come on,” he said quietly. He seemed to be in a better state than he had earlier.</p>
<p>She followed him to his chambers again and she prepared to assume the same position she did the night before, but she saw him shake his head.</p>
<p>“Not tonight,” he said. “You need to sleep. You look like you’re about to pass out on the floor.”</p>
<p>He wasn’t wrong. She hadn’t had time to rest since she woke up the day before, and even that sleep was restless and fitful. She was so tired she didn’t know how she made it to his room. She let him take off her armour and her weapons, leaning Needle and her bow against the table she sat at earlier. Once she was in her undershirt and leggings, she pulled off her boots and sat down on the bed. Gendry moved to sit on her chair, but she grabbed his hand. She was scared she would wake up and he would be gone and she didn’t want him to be far.</p>
<p>“You sleep too,” she told him, pulling him by the hand into the bed. </p>
<p>“It wouldn’t be proper-”</p>
<p>“Fuck proper. Just stay by me, please.”</p>
<p>He obliged, and the two of them lay down on the bed, the covers pulled around them to keep out the chill.</p>
<p>“I want you to know,” she told him quietly, “that I won’t let anyone take you from me again. Not the Red Woman, not Cersei Lannister, not the fucking Night King. I’d kill them all. I’d kill a thousand men before I let anyone take you from me again.”</p>
<p>“Arya-”</p>
<p>“I would. I never should have let her take you in the first place. I should’ve done something more-”</p>
<p>His hand cupped her face. “You are not to blame for what happened. It’s in the past now. I haven’t seen her since, and I’m fine.”</p>
<p>To her surprise, tears sprang to her eyes. “I love you. I’ve missed you too much.”</p>
<p>He smiled. “I love you too. Now get some sleep.”</p>
<p>There was still so much to come, and their future was uncertain, but in Gendry’s warm room, curled up next to him, she had the best sleep she had in years.</p>
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